On Thursday morning we awoke in Rome to the sound of cars and sirens out our window. Our B&B was right next to a roundabout and busy area but also 20 steps from the metro. We got some directions from our host, ate breakfast and were on our way. Our plans changed because it was supposed to rain, so we headed to the Vatican a little later in the morning than we should have. We got there around 9-9:30 and saw the massive two hour line. There were salesmen left and right trying to sell us things to cut the line, etc. A lady came up to us and asked if I was pregnant. I didn't know where she was going with it, so I slowly answered yes (and my small belly bump hadn't been noticed by a stranger yet). She said there was a bypass line for pregnant ladies. I thought she was crazy but I went to the front to ask and low and behold she was right! I ran back to grab Ben and we walked right inside past everyone. We purchased our tickets and decided to get one audio guide to share with headphones. We spent three plus hours in the Vatican. It was crowded but nothing like I wasn't expecting. We stopped and listened to specific sculptures/ pieces of art that we like or recognized. Ben would have stopped at every description if I let him. We made our way to the Sistine Chapel as we "ooed" and awed. I heard Ben saw "wow" a few times and it was fun being with someone who really enjoyed everything inside. It did rain while we were in the museum and it was barely sprinkling when we came out.
We made our way to St. Peter's and were looking for a pizza joint my family/friends and I ate at seven years ago. Somehow I spotted it as we walked on the street between the two locations. There were people sitting outside a store with pizza in hand. That was it! We got a potato and ham slice for 2,50. I think I got the same exact kind of pizza last time. It was delicious. The potatoes were buttery and the dough crunchy. I now know that it is called Pizzeria Alice.
Then we stood in line for St. Peter's for about 15 minutes. We saw the iron gate entrance to where the pope lives, guarded by the Swiss Guard. The inside was even grander than I remember. I forgot that was where the Pieta is, and there were tombs of all the previous popes in the basement. We were there for an hour admiring its' grandeur and ornate beauty. I was really tired and my feet hurt but we pressed on!
We walked to Saint Angelo castle over the bridge and walked toward Piazza del Fico and onto Piazza Navona. We sat by the Fountain of Four Rivers by Bernini and soaked in the cute romantic feel that filled the square. My cousin, Annie, told me to find the gelateria "Giolotti". We asked a few people and stumbled upon it. It was busy with happy customers so we each got a medium 3 scoop gelato. Ben had lemon, strawberry and pineapple. I got caramel, chocolate Oreo and stracciatella. YUM. We enjoyed them outside as it melted and dripped on my pants.
It was beginning to be night time and the weather got a little chilly, but perfect jacket weather. The night felt romantic as we strolled the little streets, holding hands. It was fun being on a "date night" with Ben. We made our way to the Pantehon and Ben loved how long it has been standing. The ceiling is my favorite and I forgot that the roof opening lets air/water in from above. Raphael's tomb was there and we enjoyed its' uniqueness. From there we walked through the streets of markets and vendors to the Trevi Fountain. Sadly it was under construction and a lot of scaffolding. They didn't allow you to throw money in the fountain itself but we walked over a bridge they had created to allow people to see the sculptures up close during the renovation. Ben did get a picture with his hand over his shoulder, for good luck. We took the Metro home from Barberini and got home around 9-10:00, just in time to Face Time William before bed. He sure wasn't missing up but he was loving the trains at grammie's house. We talked about him daily throughout the trip. Before bed we researched our path for the next day and enjoyed putting our feet up!
Our second day in Rome we had another fun filled day. I woke up a lot more rested but my right foot felt worse. We got out the door before 9:00 and walked, SLOWLY with my limp, to San Giovanni's church. It's even older than St. Peters and is the official catholic church of Rome (because the Vatican is its' own country). It was gorgeous inside with a gold decorated roof and large 15 foot statues along the sides leading up to the front. Ben mentioned that it was so beautiful, but it was hard when we saw so many amazing places yesterday it makes it harder to appreciate.
Across the street was the Sancta Sancorum church. It had 28 steps leading to the top where their "holiest of holys" was located. The stairs were wood but underneath was marble stairs said to have been brought from Jerusalem where Pilate and Jesus supposedly walked. Ben and I both had our knees exposed wearing shorts and a skirt. There were a handful of others there "climbing" the stairs very slowly, only on their knees as this was the expectation. We had to move slowly as the others recited scriptures and prayers on each step. It probably took us ten minutes to get to the top but it felt humbling going up there.
Our next stop was the Colosseum. We tried getting tickets at the Palatine Hill but it was closed for a meeting, so we had to do the Colosseum first. I tried using the pregnancy excuse to cut the line again and it worked! Thank goodness for pregnancy perks and baby girl :)
We listened to Rick Steve's audio guide information on the Colosseum and it was fun to get the extra added insight. It's crazy how old it is and how people killed others for entertainment there. Next we walked toward the Forum and again were taught by Rick Steve's. Ben loved exploring the ruins and hearing the dates and details.
We then headed toward the Spanish Steps and were looking for a restaurant that was highly recommended. It ended up being a little pricey and closed at that time so we took pictures on the steps that sadly also had some scaffolding behind it. Our next stop was the "Ecstasy of St. Theresa" and somewhere to eat. Ben found one of the top rated pizza places was nearby so we almost ran to get our hands on it. We climbed up the steep hills and found Pinsere Roma Pizza. DELICIOUS. We had a margherita and artichoke with ham pizza (my favorite). There weren't any seats just standing room again, so we enjoyed the pizza on the streets with some pesto they had at the counter. We walked around the corner and stumbled upon a gelato store. We couldn't help ourselves but get another one for good measure. The flavors were delicious and it hit the spot.
From there we finally found the "Ecstasy" made another stop in a cathedral and walked way too much in one day. We headed back to grab our bags and make our way to the Termini train station and onto our last stop in Italy, Florence.
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